


Sunset on the River

by Akumeoi



Series: Fingers and Thumbs [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Scars, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-22 00:34:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10686129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumeoi/pseuds/Akumeoi
Summary: Noctis's body carries many souvenirs of misadventures past. Prompto takes notice of what's under the scars.





	Sunset on the River

Prompto sat on a rock beside the river, wearing nothing but his boxers, vigorously attempting to dry his torso and arms with a damp tea towel. The light of the sun setting behind the trees on the other side of the riverbank painted his features in a warm red glow. Noctis, still bathing in the shadowed river below, could feel Prompto’s eyes boring holes in his back, and it was pissing him off. Hard not to be pissed off when you’re standing waist deep in glacial water, shivering and trying to wash Giagantoad slime out of your hair.

“Knock it off, Prompto,” Noctis said, narrowing his eyes and turning to face him in irritation. 

“Huh?” Prompto said innocently, giving up on the tea towel and pulling on his shirt. “Was I humming or something? I totally didn't notice. My bad.” Prompto's voice was muffled from inside the shirt, and when he finally managed to find the armholes, his head emerged with damp hair all touselled.

“No need to stare,” Noctis said, unmoved by Prompto’s dishevelled appearance. He dunked his head underwater to rinse out the slime, and was much gratified to find it feeling finally clean when he emerged again, shivering more violently than before. 

"Aww, Noctis,” Prompto whined half-heartedly as Noctis climbed out onto the riverbank, dripping and freezing. Grabbing the second tea towel from on top of his clean clothes, he started drying himself immediately.

“It’s just, you have like, a perfect back. It’s so photogenic. I could take pictures of it all day. With a camera, but also with my eyes,” Prompto continued, widening his eyes for dramatic effect.

Putting on his clean boxers (the best feeling in the world right now), Noctis glared up at Prompto on his rock and watched him slump a little and look down at his folded knees.

“Um, sorry. Too much?” Prompto said. Noctis didn't reply as both of them put on their pants. Then Noctis started trying to wring water out of his hair. Prompto climbed off the boulder to stand a few paces away from Noctis on the riverbank, and Noctis knew he was in trouble.

“I don't know how you can call _this_ perfect,” Noctis said, turning away from Prompto for a moment, not that Prompto wouldn't know what he was talking about. Not only was Noctis constantly on the verge of beating Iggy for “least muscular” of the group, but he also had a big, ugly scar right in the middle of his torso. A reminder of the time a Naga had put him in a wheelchair and almost crippled him for life - _would_ have crippled him for life had it not been for the Oracle’s intervention. 

Just one of the many reasons Noctis had a strained relationship with his own body. Normally Prompto helped him forget, but not this. Noctis fixed his attention on his hair, peripherally aware of Prompto fiddling with his gloves without actually putting them on.

“I dunno, buddy,” Prompto said with a sheepish laugh. “You should see your back when you run.”

( _I have a limp_ , Noctis thought.)

“Or when you throw your sword to warp? It's like a well-oiled _machine_.”

(...Yeah, Noctis had to concede that the warping did make him look pretty cool.)

Prompto gave an awkward cough. “So maybe you wouldn't call it perfect. But that's my story and I'm sticking to it.” As usual, his features radiated with the honesty of Prompto's pure intentions. With a sigh that he hoped would pass for patient rather than nervous, Noctis turned around and willingly opened himself up to Prompto’s inspection.

(Noctis should let Prompto have this, since he was trying so hard.)

“Fine,” he said at length, putting the towel around his neck, his body involuntarily tense. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Prompto gazing at the scar with his eyebrows drawn together in concentration or concern. Noctis knew what he would be seeing - four jagged, parallel claw marks, reaching down from the base of his shoulder blade all the way to his waist, broad and sloppy and ugly because they had stretched out over time to consume more and more of him. Prompto’s eyes met his, then flicked away again. 

“Noct…” Prompto said, unsure.

“You wanted to see it, didn't you?” Noctis challenged him. 

Moments later, he felt Prompto spread one warm hand over Noctis's river-cool skin. He felt Prompto lift the towel that was still around his neck, and did Prompto the favour of dropping it on the ground beside them, baring himself. Prompto's two thumbs pressed into the dimples in Noctis's shoulder blades, swept over his ribs, gently made their way down his sides. Prompto's touch was soft, steady, and sure. Like Prompto had thought about doing this before. Noctis bet he had. There were parts of Prompto, too, that Noctis still needed to explore, outside and inside, layer upon layer. 

Closing his eyes, he leaned into Prompto's touch, even as gentle fingers brushed the edges of the scar.

“You always act like you're so cool, but when someone tries to tell you about how cool you are, you say that you're not cool at all. What's up with that? Like--” Prompto said, breaking the loaded silence with a bout of nervous chatter. Noctis cut him off by holding up one hand.

“Prompto, it's okay,” he said. Prompto's hand came to rest, his four fingers resting perfectly between the mark of each claw. His thumb caressed the skin beside the scar, stroking over it with light pressure that Noctis barely felt. Then, Prompto slowly curled his hands around Noctis's ribs. He rested his head on Noctis's shoulder, hair damp against Noctis's neck and smelling like river water. 

“It’s like,” Prompto continued anyway, sounding quietly frustrated, “You think you can't have _flaws_ \--”

“I said, it's fine,” Noctis said, this time more firmly. His whole back was thrumming, especially with Prompto now pressed up close against it. The chill of the river had completely dissipated, cast away by Prompto’s warmth. Shifting, Prompto made a frustrated little noise, then thought the better of it and fell silent.

Turning his head, Noctis coaxed Prompto with his eyes, waiting until Prompto kissed him sweetly on the lips. Then Noctis relaxed back into Prompto's arms, Prompto seeming to effortlessly carry his weight. Together they watched as the sun sank behind the trees and the world became dark.

**Author's Note:**

> First fic for FFXV. Please excuse OOC. I think Noct has a nice back; thus, Prompto thinks Noct has a nice back. (Seriously look at it, it's like his best feature ~~apart from his beautiful face~~.)
> 
> Btw I have no idea if this scar placement is canonically accurate. I didn't watch the movie so I go by word of mouth. Thank you to Redrocketeer for discussing this mutual headcanon with me. If you liked this fic, you may also like their fic [hide your wings](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10575258).  
> Edit: found [this post about it](http://voxiferous.tumblr.com/post/160053368592/okay-but) on tumblr, which includes an artist's rendition of scar placement. I imagined it differently but this is a good visual for anyone who is interested.
> 
> Comments welcome!


End file.
